What Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club Teaches Us About Confidence, Self-Care, and Burnout

There’s something undeniably electric about Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to throw off the expectations the world has placed on you, slip into your highest heels, and unapologetically become the person you were meant to be. The story behind the song—about a girl leaving her traditional Southern roots behind to chase a dream that might horrify her mother—isn’t just about running away to dance under the disco lights. It’s about confidence. It’s about self-care. And, more than anything, it’s about refusing to burn out trying to be someone you’re not.

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Photo by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash

Finding Yourself (Even If It Disappoints Other People)

The core of Pink Pony Club isn’t rebellion for the sake of rebellion. It’s about a deep knowing—that gut feeling that says, I am meant for something else. The protagonist isn’t just running away; she’s running toward. Toward a life where she fits. Toward joy. Toward the version of herself that isn’t dimming her own light to make others comfortable.

And here’s the thing: When you start living authentically, some people won’t understand it. Maybe they won’t approve. Maybe they’ll talk. Maybe they’ll outright beg you to stay small, to stay safe, to stay in the box they built for you. But what if it’s not you that’s the problem? What if it’s the damn box?

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Lean the F**k Into It

Self-care isn’t just bubble baths and naps (though, let’s be real, those are great). Real self-care is giving yourself permission to chase what sets your soul on fire. It’s asking: What do I actually want? and then going after it like your life depends on it—because in some ways, it does.

There is a special kind of exhaustion that comes from contorting yourself into a version of you that pleases others. That’s burnout. And the antidote? Doing whatever it takes to return to yourself. Even if it looks messy. Even if it makes people uncomfortable. Even if it means metaphorically (or literally) leaving Tennessee and finding your own Pink Pony Club.

Key Takeaways From Pink Pony Club:

1. Your happiness matters more than other people’s expectations. You’re not here to be the version of yourself that makes others comfortable. You’re here to be you.

2. It’s okay to disappoint people. Your path won’t always make sense to those who love you, and that’s okay. Keep dancing anyway.

3. Self-care is more than rest; it’s radical authenticity. The best thing you can do for yourself isn’t always a face mask—sometimes it’s chasing your dreams, even when it’s scary.

4. Burnout isn’t just from doing too much; it’s from doing the wrong things. If you’re constantly exhausted, ask yourself: Am I tired from hard work, or am I tired from pretending?

5. Lean the f*k into who you are.** Whatever makes you weird, whatever lights you up, whatever sets you apart—that’s your magic. Own it.

Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club is a glittering, disco-lit permission slip to be fully yourself. To take up space. To disappoint people, if it means you’re making yourself proud. To find the place where you belong—even if you have to build it yourself.

So, what’s your Pink Pony Club? Maybe it’s not neon lights and stilettos—maybe it’s a well-worn pair of Birkenstocks, a cozy lounge set, and the freedom to move your home from state to state, beach to mountains, city to horse farm. Whatever it is, wherever you feel the most you—go there. Own it. Step into it fully, no apologies, no regrets. The world is waiting for the real you to show up.

And when you do—when you finally let go of the expectations and just be—you’ll realize that’s when the real dancing begins.